Mike Sullivan stands out for a number of reasons.
For one, he’s the only active coach in the NHL who has led a team to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, having accomplished that feat with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.
And there’s his loud booming voice with a hint of a Bostonian accent that defines him in a lot of ways.
In many different ways, he’s made a name for himself.
Even if he’s far from the only one with that name.
On Monday afternoon, the Steelers hired a quarterbacks coach named Mike Sullivan.
Less than an hour after that transaction was announced, Mike Sullivan — of the Penguins — was asked about Mike Sullivan — of the Steelers — and the commonality of their name.
“Never had a case of mistaken identity, with the name Mike Sullivan, anyway,” Sullivan said. “But there are a lot of Mike Sullivans in the world. That I can assure you. It seems like it’s a very common Irish Catholic name. I actually have a cousin with the same name. That’s something I’ve been used to my whole life.
“The fact that the Steelers have a Mike Sullivan, that’s obviously a unique circumstance to have two coaches in the same city with the same name. I wish him well.”
